Sansa Law Desk

The Assam Cabinet on May 13, 2026, approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, making Assam the latest Indian state to move towards implementing a uniform set of personal laws. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Bill will be tabled in the Assam Legislative Assembly on May 26, the final day of the upcoming session. The Assam UCC Bill has been tailored to the state's demographic and cultural realities, with complete exemptions for tribal communities in

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 15, 2026, delivered a landmark verdict in the long-running Bhojshala dispute, declaring the centuries-old complex in Dhar district a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati (Maa Vagdevi). The division bench quashed the Archaeological Survey of India's 2003 circular that had permitted Muslims to offer Friday namaz at the site between 1 pm and 3 pm. The ruling, based on a detailed 2,200-page ASI survey report, formally recognises the Bho

The Madhya Pradesh High Court quashed an FIR registered against a government school teacher, Faizan Ansari, who shared a video of an Urdu nazm (poem) titled 'Be-haya' by poet Shoaib Kiani on his WhatsApp status. Justice B.P. Sharma, in his order in the case of Faizan Ansari v. State of Madhya Pradesh (2026 MPHC JBP 35211), held that sharing a poetic recitation without any additional commentary or intent to incite cannot be construed as promoting enmity or public mischief. The

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has constituted a Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening judicial infrastructure across India. The committee's mandate includes identifying infrastructural constraints, recommending technology upgrades, and securing governmental support and funding in the range of Rs 40,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore for courts nationwide. This initiative comes at a time when the Supreme Court's pendency

The Calcutta High Court, in its judgment in CRR 2270 of 2025 decided on May 8, 2026, quashed criminal proceedings under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (NI Act) against the wife of a sole proprietor. Justice Uday Kumar held that criminal liability for cheque dishonour cannot be imposed on a non-signatory spouse merely on the basis of vague allegations of "dominion and control" over the proprietorship firm. The ruling draws a clear boundary on vicarious lia

The Supreme Court of India, in a recent judgment from May 2026, altered a conviction in a 1999 murder case, ruling that the mere physical presence of an accused person at the scene of a crime, without evidence of active participation or shared intention, is insufficient to sustain a conviction under Section 34 (now Section 3(5), BNS) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC). This ruling reinforces an important principle of criminal law: constructive liability under Section 34 req

The Delhi High Court, in the case of Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha v. Tech Square Engineering (decided May 4, 2026), delivered a landmark ruling on trademark rights for foreign brands in India. The Court held that for the purposes of Sections 11 and 57 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, a foreign proprietor may succeed in a rectification petition by proving that its mark had acquired actionable recognition and spill-over reputation in India within the relevant consumer segment,

In a significant judgment delivered on May 8, 2026, the Supreme Court of India held that Indian Railways cannot claim the status of a "deemed distribution licensee" under the Electricity Act, 2003. The Court ruled that Railways functions as a "consumer" of electricity and is therefore liable to pay cross-subsidy surcharge (CSS) and additional surcharge (AS) to distribution companies. The case, Indian Railways v. West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (2026

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a press release on May 4, 2026, cautioning the public against misleading campaigns that promise loan waivers or debt cancellation. The central bank labelled these campaigns as "false and misleading" and warned that individuals and entities involved in such schemes could face legal action under applicable laws. This advisory comes amid a surge in social media posts and WhatsApp messages claiming that the government or RBI has approved bla

The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, approved the proposal for appointment of nine advocates as judges of the Calcutta High Court. The recommendations were made in resolutions passed during the Collegium's meetings held on May 11 and 12, 2026. This is one of the largest single batches of judicial appointments recommended for the Calcutta High Court in recent years, addressing the chronic vacancy problem that affects case disposal across We

With less than a month before the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Mexico and Canada, no broadcaster in India has secured the media rights to telecast the tournament. The Delhi High Court on May 12, 2026 stepped in, issuing notice to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and Prasar Bharati on a public interest plea seeking free-to-air broadcast of the world's largest sporting event for Indian viewers. Why No Broadcaster Has Se

In a politically charged order that could shape the future of the Tamil Nadu government, the Madras High Court on May 12, 2026 restrained Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA R. Seenivasa Sethupathi from participating in any floor motion in the 17th Legislative Assembly, including the crucial confidence motion. The interim order, passed by a vacation bench of Justice L. Victoria Gowri and Justice N. Senthilkumar, arises from allegations of postal ballot irregularities in a cons

The Supreme Court has directed the Union Ministry of Education to take a decision within four weeks on a representation seeking regulation and monitoring of all institutions imparting secular or religious education to children below the age of 14 years. The direction came on 11 May 2026 while disposing of a Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, who sought comprehensive directions for registration, recognition, supervision, and monitoring of such insti

The Supreme Court Collegium, in its meeting held on 4 May 2026, has approved the elevation of ten advocates as judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The recommendations include Advocate Pravindra Singh Chauhan, the current Advocate General of Haryana, and Advocate Harmeet Singh Deol, who serves as Additional Advocate General of Punjab. The decision comes against the backdrop of a significant gap between the High Court's sanctioned strength of 85 judges and its current

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has granted family pension to a woman despite her marriage being held void under Section 5(i) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. In Umawati v. Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (LPA No. 545 of 2025), decided on 25 April 2026, the Division Bench held that although the marriage was illegal, it could not be treated as immoral, and the denial of pension on this ground would be unjust. Background The appellant Umawati had solemnised marriage wi